1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a hand-operable dispensing package for a viscous product such as a gel, a cream, or a paste such as toothpaste. More particularly, this invention relates to a dispensing package which simultaneously dispenses first and second viscous products in a single bead that is made up of a core of the first product with spaced apart strips or stripes of the second product on the outside of the first product.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,437,591 (A. von Schuckmann) discloses a prior art hand-operable dispensing package for a viscous product in which the product is contained within a cylindrical portion of the package and is dispensed in the form of a bead through a dispensing opening at an end of the package under the influence of a hand-operable pumping element at the dispensing end of the package, in combination with a unidirectionally movable piston which is mechanically linked to the pumping element so that it advances step by step toward the dispensing end of the package to effect the dispensing of product therefrom. However, a dispenser according to this reference dispenses a bead of uniform color and composition from but a single viscous product supply.
The concept of laying strips or stripes of a second viscous product onto a core of a first viscous product being dispensed from a viscous product dispensing package is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,403 (H. Prahs), and dispensers of this type have gained popularity in the dispensing of toothpaste in multiple colors. However, the dispenser of this reference applies the second product to the first product only over a portion of the periphery thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 4,437,584 (Connors et al.), in reference to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5 of the drawing thereof, also discloses a striping dispenser, and while the dispenser of this reference appears to apply a second viscous product to the exterior of a first viscous product in a circumferentially uniform pattern, the second product is brought into communication with the first product through slots at locations substantially inwardly of the dispensing outlet of the container, and the slots are subject to being gradually covered by the first product as striped product is dispensed from the container, which would detract from the effectiveness of striping during the final stages of the dispensing of the product.